CORE 15 Rifle Review

So, I got my new rifle today . Couldn't sleep last night from the excitement, which is normal for me when I purchase a new firearm usually. This is my first AR15 rifle, and I've spent the last several months looking at different brands and styles etc. In particular, I narrowed it down to 3 different rifles. The M&P15, NEA, and CORE15.

The M&P15 was a nice rifle, I ordered one in at Wholesale Sports, but wasn't a fan of the lack of a flash hider/brake, and when I opened it, there were metal shavings lining the inside, probably from the machining process. Also, only a 2 year waranty and was manufactured by STAG ARMS for S&W, not necessarly a bad thing, but I wanted something with a lifetime waranty, so S&W is out!

The NEA rifle. I had the oportunity to handle the NEA rifle that "The Edge" had for their range rifle. Keep in mind, this was a pre production model and had it's issues, but all things aside, was a realy nice rifle. Nicer than I expected, actually. Was not a fan of the trigger pull, and right now, I'm a fan of the ability to remove the trigger guard and swap it out with whatever I'm in the mood for at that particular time. I also, didn't really want something with a railed forend. The forend on the NEA rifle was loose, but felt fairly slim with no sharp edges to snag anything on. Keep in mind, this was a pre production model and I believe that problem was addressed. I also didn't like how the forend was only clamped on by 4 tiny hex screws. Probably why the forend came loose. I'm also not that attracted to the finish that they use on their products, looks a little greyish, and wasn't for me, but that's just my opinion. Otherwise, it's actually a really nice piece of hardware, especially for the price.

Now for the CORE15 M4. This thing, I fell in love with the moment I was handed the rifle on a visit to Wanstalls while I was out visiting my bro in POCO. This thing is sweet! From the chevrons on the front of the mag well, to the 7075 aluminum that they make it out of, it's very attractive. I had initially thought that I would just get the base gas model, but when I had initially saw this thing, I was a fan of the Magpul furniture, so I upgraded. Money well spent in my opinion. I'd be perfectly content with just hanging it on the wall as a display, if I didn't like shooting as much as I do.
The trigger does feel a tad heavy, but has no creep and feels very solid and crisp. I'll probably keep it at least for the time being, as I do like it.
I weighed this rifle with an empty 5/30 round magpul mag and just the flip up rear sight and it tipped the scale at only 6.6 pounds. I haven't really decided on a particular sight yet, but for the time being, have a small red/green dot 1X20 sight that I'll throw on just to have some fun with. Even with the dot sight, it still only weighs 6.8 lbs, though I need something a little taller as for mounting it on the rail.
The Magpul furniture speaks for itself. I'm a fan of the quality and looks of this stuff and in tan, it really makes the rifle pop.
Fit and finish on this rifle is anything but cheap. There are no machining marks, and it looks very clean. It does have indentations for the lettering for the name on the sides, which I don't mind at all, but realize others may like the debaged look. There are chevrons machined in the front of the magwell, which I had forgotten about and was a nice surprise. The trigger guard is sloted for that nice dressed up aftermarket look, and I like it. It's also enlarged slightly for those that wear gloves.

I could go on about all the build details, but I would just be repeating what is already posted on the CORE15 website. The gas model, however, does come with a 1:7 twist barrel, which should help to stabelize those heavier bullets.

I have about 9 different types and weights of cartriges that I will shoot through the rifle tomorrow at the range for group testing. I will post the particulars at that time and will be shooting 5 shot groups and 3-4 groups of each cartrige.

If you guys have any questions, or any suggestions as to what I should focus on, or try for ammo, etc, let me know and I'll do my best to accomidate. As a guy that's had the chance to see and compare the CORE15 rifle to that of NEA, I feel privileged to share my experience with those that are also struggling with making the decision as to "what I should get as a first rifle" and to share pics and details about the rifle.

Thanks again to Gary at Wanstalls for the great service, and helping me out in my purchase and decision to go with CORE15. I'm very happy thus far and can't wait to get to the range.

I apologize as I can not post attachments and pics, but you can find pics here http://s845.photobucket.com/albums/ab14/slydwys/

Hey, i'm kind of new when it comes to AR's and i was wondering what the difference is between barrel twists? I'm contemplating getting the same one you did but i noticed some AR's from different companies have different barrel twists.